Thursday October 28, 2010
South Bend Council Rejects Pro-Homosexual Employment Discrimination Bill
By Peter J. Smith
SOUTH BEND, Indiana, October 28, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The South Bend Common Council has decided to vote down a proposed bill which could have forced employers, especially those of faith-based companies, to hire homosexuals.
The Council voted 6-3 to defeat Bill 30-10, which would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s employment non-discrimination code.
The city’s Human Rights Commission unanimously supported the measure, which was sponsored by homosexual activists under the banner of South Bend Equality.
Had Bill 30-10 passed, the Human Rights Commission would have been empowered to conduct investigations into allegations of anti-homosexual discrimination in the workplace.
Five Democrats joined with one Republican to vote down the measure, which exempted religious institutions but not employers of faith-based companies.
Only the bill’s three Democrat sponsors voted for the legislation.
“I appreciate the fact that the council has continued to uphold traditional values and has continued joining us lovingly opposing special rights for homosexuals,” said Patrick Mangan, executive director for Citizens for Community Values (CCV) in Indiana.
Public comment was not allowed, since the Council already had a public hearing on the ordinance earlier this year.
A coalition of pro-family groups spoke out against the bill in July, arguing the law was vague and could undermine First Amendment constitutional rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.
Also in July, the Common Council voted 5-4 to table Bill 30-10 after hours of heated debate before a standing-room-only crowd of about 200 people.
Homosexual activists, however, have pledged to bring the matter up again at a later time.
See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
South Bend Council Tables Homosexualist Ordinance
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/aug/10080408.html